Compelling Engineering Messages

Great news! Engineer Your Life's messages have been proven effective.

EYL presents engineering as a creative, lucrative, team-oriented profession that allows people to make a difference. An independent study conducted by Veridian Insight LLC and American Institutes for Research shows that EYL's messages are breaking down stereotypes about engineering and increasing high school girls' interest in the field. For example, girls familiar with EYL listed engineering as their number one career choice, have a broader definition of what engineering is, and leave the site armed with the steps involved in pursuing an engineering related career path.

Once the coalition identified what girls wanted, it enlisted the market research firms BBMG and Global Strategy Group to develop and test various career messages that would motivate girls to consider engineering. This effort was undertaken in collaboration with a larger, ongoing campaign sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering’s Public Understanding of Engineering program, which seeks to broaden Americans’ knowledge of engineering and its place in our society.

Four messages tested the strongest among high school girls:

Live your life, love what you do. Engineering will challenge you to turn dreams into realities while giving you the chance to travel, work with inspiring people and give back to your community.

Creativity has its rewards. Women engineers are respected, recognized and financially rewarded for their innovative thinking and creative solutions.

Make a world of difference. From small villages to big cities, organic farms to mountaintops, deep-sea labs to outer space, women engineers are going where there is the greatest need and making a lasting contribution.

Explore possibilities. Women engineers often use their skills to go into business, medicine, law, or government. An engineering education will prepare you for many different careers.

In light of engineering’s persistent public image problem, these messages—which are aligned with the values and aspirations most important to girls—are convincing girls that engineering is exciting, meaningful, and definitely worth considering as a career. These messages are used throughout Engineer Your Life, and the coalition encourages the entire engineering community to adopt them in all your outreach activities and materials.

Major funding for Engineer Your Life provided by The National Science Foundation and Northrop Grumman Foundation. Additional funding provided by Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr and the United Engineering Foundation (ASCE, ASME, AIChE, IEEE, AIME).